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Vaccines

Hi I have a one year old boy and he hasn't had a lot of his shots! I was trying to see what all of your opinions are about vaccines! I personally don't really want my son to have them but his father does. I don't know I'm kinda stuck! So if you would let me know what you think about vaccines, it would be greatly apreciated! Also my aunt had six kids and they are all perfectly healthy! So that makes me not want to give my orecious little boy all those vaccines.

It's a very personal decision. No one can make it for you. I recommend doing your research and not blindly following any one elses choice. Only you can decide the risk your willing to take. We do not vax at all. My 1st had a negative reaction which sparked me to look into and research risk vs. Benefit. We chose to forgo vaxing completely and subsequent children have never been vaxed. For us it wasn't worth the risk.

Hun you're just banging your head against a brick wall. These are the kind of people who truely believe the Gov & the FDA (& pharm co's) are looking out for our best interests & NOT their own pocketbooks. YOu'll never convince them that the all mighty fda/gov would knowlingly suggest they inject something in their child that is NOT good or ok. It's not worth the headache to try to convince them. We all know that if they were perfectly safe VAERS wouldn't exist.(& this is coming from someone who does vax but extremely delayed & selective)

Quoting IrishIz:

Well you are quite wrong. I'm an RN and currently an a MSN program for my Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I'm quite educated. Your ASSumption is based off a few posts where I try to explain the theory that "they say it's safe so it is" doesn't add up. The Rotavirus vaccine was on the market YEARS ago and people were told it was safe when it was later pulled for being unsafe. I'm simply pointing out that this is not a good way to view it. If anything one would suggest that the uneducated person is the one who gets them because "they say it's safe"...that is uneducated

You should absolutely not get opinions from strangers on the web for this. No mother's opinion holds any water except for your doctor's, really. Vaccines are proven, they're safe, they've saved a lot of babies from death, and while everyone has an opinion this is a life and death thing that your doctor has the answer to (and usually the answer is "Vaccinate".) Sorry ladies. This goes over and above moms--unless the mom is a doctor.

I would never vaccinate my own children because I have researched it for the last 7 years and I know how much damage they can cause. Its not worth the risk. Surveys show the NON-vaccinated are much healthier. Vaccinated children seem to have lots of problems. Today they give WAY TOO MANY and COMMON SENSE says thats insane.

Point #1: It’s Illegal Not to Vaccinate/You Must Do It For School

This is completely false but often passed around. A new parent is thinking about what they feel is right for their child, and someone pops in with the oh-so-(not)-helpful bit of information, “But they can’t go to public school if they aren’t vaccinated.” The new parent then thinks that they must choose a delayed schedule, at most, but get all the ‘required’ vaccines.

This is a lie! In all states except WV and MI, there are religious exemptions. In all states, there are medical exemptions (but it is harder to obtain in some states than others). About half of states have philosophical exemptions. Children absolutely can go to public school without some or all vaccinations. What the school or government thinks should not be your concern when choosing this medical procedure for your children.

Point #2: You Are Endangering Society If You Don’t Vaccinate

The logic here basically says that vaccines are absolutely necessary/the only way to protect children from illness, and that children who aren’t vaccinated are spreading diseases around. It’s pretty silly because it neglects two very important points: 1) Only children who are sick can spread disease, and both vaccinated and unvaccinated children can get sick (including with “vaccine preventable” diseases — many children who were vaccinated have gotten pertussis, mumps, measles, etc.). 2) There are lots of other ways to protect children than vaccines.

And, you know, this might be a little bit mean, but...if you have a child who is a newborn or who is immunocompromised, it’s up to you to take extra steps to protect him/her. Stay home, avoid certain public locations (like indoor playgrounds), use face masks, take immune-boosting supplements, whatever is needed. I will be taking precautions when I have a newborn again in a few weeks and I know it is my job. You don’t, can’t know who is in public sick…or about to get sick, whether that’s with a cold or the measles. And these can be equally dangerous to those with weak immune systems. You can’t vaccinate for a cold, either.

My opinion is that if you know you are sick, stay home! That is your responsibility to society. Don’t purposely go out and expose everyone. If you must make a quick trip to the grocery store or something, then do it. Don’t take your kids to an indoor playground with runny noses and coughs. A lot of people say “Well, by the time they reach _____ stage, they’re not really contagious.” Yeah, someone told me that when coming for a play date when I was very pregnant with my third…kids acting fine and noses dripping. And guess whose kids woke up with bad colds two days later? If they’re dripping, they are still contagious. Be smart. And this has nothing to do with being vaccinated or not.

Point #3: Your Children WILL Die If You Don’t Vaccinate

My goodness…this is just over the top, but I hear it all the time. There is no basis for a statement like this. It’s a scare tactic and it is false. there is a teeny, tiny chance that a child could catch an illness, develop complications, and die from it. It could happen. But it really is a teeny tiny chance. There is no certainty in this. There is not even likelihood in this. While we need to be realistic that there is a chance of this, there is absolutely no reason, nor any evidence to support the idea that it “will” happen. Ridiculous.

Point #4: Parents Who Do/Don’t Vaccinate Don’t Love Their Children

Everyone needs to stop saying this. Right now. Everyone loves their children and they only want what is best for them. They want their children to be safe, healthy, and happy. Some believe that vaccinating is the best way to achieve this. Others believe not vaccinating is. And we may all disagree on that point, but we all love our children. Nobody should ever accuse another parent of not loving their child because they made a different decision about something! Frankly I think this is something people say when they don’t have enough of an argument to support their decision, or when they are angry and don’t know what to say. Here’s a hint: step away from the debate and say nothing. Never say this.

Point #5: Parents Who Do/Don’t Vaccinate Are Just “Sheeple” And Do Not Do Real Research

This, too, needs to stop being said. There are parents on both sides who are making the choice because “everyone else is doing that” or “my doctor/chiropractor said so.” Basically, they’re doing it without much research and based on misinformation. There are also parents on both sides of the debate who have researched extensively and have come to believe that vaccinating/not vaccinating is the right answer. It’s not possible to tell how informed or well-researched a person is just by what decision they made. And supposing they are doing it “just because others are” do you think calling them names is going to help them feel open to research? I don’t think so. No name calling!

Point #6: Vaccines Are a Government Conspiracy To Harm and Kill Us All

I really believe that at least the vast majority of people who support vaccines do so because they honestly believe that they are necessary and good. I do not think that they are a government conspiracy to kill us, thin the herds/eugenics, microchip us, etc.And frankly when people default to saying this instead of staying grounded in the scientific research, they sound crazy and do not help their cause. Although there are fringe theories about this and supposedly some “evidence,” it is very fringe. Let’s keep the debate to the health and science behind immunity and vaccination.

Point #7: No Studies Show Vaccines Are Linked to Autism Or Other Issues

This is demonstrably false. It is a phrase commonly passed around and therefore it is believed. Through extensive research into a number of health topics, I have found dozens and dozens of studies showing benefits to alternative remedies or alternative view points, which are ignored by the mainstream. There are hundreds to thousands of studies published everyday and most never get much attention. It does not mean they don’t exist. Basically, anything that doesn’t fit the mainstream line of thinking is ignored, unless it is replicated enough times to get attention. It is ignored longer is there is a strong belief and/or a financial incentive to do so. But again, pretending the evidence doesn’t exist doesn’t mean it doesn’t. Here are many to look at.

Point #8: Vaccines Have No Risks

This is one of the silliest things that is ever said. Of course vaccines have risks — anyone who is being honest will say that they do. Whether those risks are major or minor, and whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks is something else. It is entirely appropriate to say “I believe the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.” Okay — I understand that (I disagree, but I fully support someone coming to that conclusion). To say there are no risks is completely wrong. There are risks to anything! People need to be willing to admit that this entire discussion is about a risk-benefit analysis because there are risks to both sides. Downplaying that doesn’t help anyone.

Point #9: Not Vaccinating Makes Your Child Magically Healthier

While some early studies have shown that children who are not vaccinated have a lower risk of asthma, autism, etc. they have not proven a causal link. Children who are not vaccinated are also likely to have parents who take a healthy diet, supplements, and other aspects of health more seriously. While I believe vaccines play a role in these conditions, simply not vaccinating does not guarantee your child health. There are other steps you need to take to protect your child’s health.

Plus, some parents seem to think that their child will be so healthy from not being vaccinated that they won’t actually catch anything. This is dangerous. If your child isn’t vaccinated (and frankly, even if s/he is), s/he might get sick. S/he might get the measles, or the mumps, or pertussis. All of these have circulated in recent years. You need to learn what the typical symptoms of these diseases are, the signs of complications, when to call the doctor, how to treat at home in minor cases, and so on. You have to accept the risk that your child might get sick. Now — it’s unlikely if your child is not a newborn and not immunocompromised that the illness will be serious or permanently harm or kill your child. But s/he still might catch it. Know it, prepare for it.

If we could take all of these lies out of the debate and focus on the science, as well as believing that every parent just wants what is best for their children, this would be a whole lot better for everyone.

I was not vaxed at all as a kid, my Dh had the whole vax shebang. With our kids, we researched it and asked people we knew and trusted about their opinions and ended up getting delayed selective for our kids. But everyone has a different reason and decision regarding them. When you do research it, make sure your sources are up to date. Vaccinations have changed dramatically in the last 30 years!

Good luck!

Quoting cali_angel_girl:

Honestly in the long run you need to do what you feel is best for your child and not go by what anyone on here says. I would suggest doing some research on vaccinating vs non vaccinating and go from there. Good luck with your decision.

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